Total includes patient who tested positive this week

Another surgical patient in the Greenville Health System has been diagnosed with a rare mycobacterial infection, and a total of three people who were diagnosed with the infection have died, according to hospital officials.

Dr. Robert Mobley Jr., medical director of quality at GHS, said the patients who died had significant underlying medical conditions and the infection could have been a contributing factor to the deaths.

A total of 15 patients have tested positive for the infection, which includes an additional patient who tested positive this week.

Six patients are recovering at home while continuing to receive treatment, Mobley said. Six patients are being treated in the hospital or other extended-care facilities.

GHS announced on Friday, June 20, that it had found an unusual infection in 14 surgical patients. The infections were caused by an atypical mycobacterium. Because of the organism’s long incubation period of as much as 60 days, some of the GHS patients did not show signs of infection until months after their surgeries. The first-recognized patient tested positive in March 2014. Patients who have tested positive for this organism are being notified.

GHS is working with the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify the source of the infection.

GHS officials said based on the preliminary results of the investigation, authorities believe that the infection may have been related to a piece of equipment, which has now been removed from use.

They said the operating room primarily associated with that piece of equipment was also closed temporarily as a precaution. It is expected to reopen within a few weeks.

All other pieces of equipment which may potentially be involved in these cases have also been removed from use.

GHS said mycobacteria are found in the natural environment in water, soil and dust. Most people, when exposed, experience no symptoms or adverse health effects. A release from GHS said this is a rare infection and is not contagious and people who are already sick with other illnesses and have had surgical procedures are more susceptible to such an infection.

“We regret that any patient within our care could possibly be affected by this situation,” said Mobley. “Our thoughts are with those involved. Our on-going priority will be to monitor these and other patients for continued safe and effective care.”

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HOSPITAL... MIKE.. WHAT DID YOU FIND OUT? NOTHING BEYOND THIS E-MAIL SENT TO US BY HOSPITAL OFFICIALS. THE FIRST LINE OF IT READS.. GREENVILLE HEALTH SYSTEM BELIEVES IN TRANSPARENCY.. BUT OUR REQUEST FOR AN INTERVIEW.. TO GET MORE INFORMATION.. WAS DECLINED. 26:05 "at this point we think the measures we've taken have managed the situation." THAT'S WHAT A DOCTOR AT G-H-S TOLD US BY PHONE ON JUNE 20th.. THE DAY THE HOSPITAL ANNOUNCED THAT 14 SURGERY PATIENTS CAME DOWN WITH WHAT'S BEING CALLED A RARE MYCOBACTERIAL INFECTION. THIS WEEK... ANOTHER PATIENT TESTED POSITIVE.. THAT'S A TOTAL OF 15 INFECTED PATIENTS. THE HOSPITAL SAYS THE PATIENTS ALREADY HAD SIGNIFICANT UNDERLYING MEDICAL CONDITIONS. ACCORDING TO THE HOSPITAL'S MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF QUALITY.... THREE PATIENTS HAVE DIED... IN A STATEMENT, HE WROTE THAT TNFECTION COULD HAVE BEEN A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE DEATHS. THE HOSPITAL SAYS THE AFFECTED PATIENTS HAD CARDIAC, GENERAL, OR NEURO SURGERIES. THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL AND THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION ARE WORKING WITH THE HOSPITAL TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE INFECTION... BUT ACCORDING TO A STATEMENT FROM THE HOSPITAL - PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF THE INVESTIGATION POINT TO A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT, WHICH IS HAS NOW BEEN REMOVED FROM USE. ON TOP OF THAT.. THE HOSPITAL CLOSED THE OPERATING ROOM PRIMARILY ASSOCIATED WITH THAT EQUIPMENT.. BUT THAT ROOM IS EXPECTED TO RE-OPEN WITHIN A FEW WEEKS... THE HOSPITAL SAYS ANY OTHER PIECES OF EQUIPMENT - THAT ARE POTENTIALLY INVOLVED IN THE CASES ARE NO LONGER IN USE. STILL.. THE HOSPITAL ADMITS TO MORE POTENTIAL VICTIMS.. SINCE THEY FIRST TOLD ABOUT THE INFECTION. 27:31 "I think we can assure people we are as on top of this as can be done at this point." ACCORDING TO THIS STATEMENT FROM THE HOSPITAL - THE INFECTION IS NOT CONTAGIOUS.. TONIGHT..A HOSPITAL SPOKESWOMAN TOLD US THAT THE HOSPITAL IS NOTIFYING PATIENTS.. BUT IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT YOUR HEALTH.. YOU SHOULD TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR. MIKE MCCORMICK, WYFF NEWS FOUR, LIVE IN GREENVILLE.

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